Electric snap-switch



F. H. QUADE, JII.

ELECTRIC SNAP SWIICH.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE Io. IQIQ.

Patented Jau. 20, 1920.

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FRANK H. QUDE, 3R., OF FRESNO, CALIFORNILA, ASSIGNOR T0 LSENBY MANUFAC- TURING COMPANY, OF FRESNO, CALIFORNIA, [s COBPORATON.

ELECTRC SNAP-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pmmgd Jang, 2m 92@ Application filed .Tune 10, 1919. Serial No. 303,078.

To al? whom t may concern:

Beit known that l, FRANK H. Quinn, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Fresno, in the county o-Fresno and State 5 of' California, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Electric Snap- -Switchesg and l do declare the followingl to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the ac# companying drawings, and to the nume als of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

rlhis invention relates to improvements in electric switches, and particularly to one of the snap type, as differentiated from the knife-blade and other types, in which contact is made by wedging the contact blades together. v

The, principal object ot my invention is to l'produce a snap switch which will be actuated by a pulling movement on a handle, rather than by a circular twist such as is now used to operate such snap switches as are on the market.

My switch is particularly adapted and intended Yfor use on machines of various kinds driven by electric motors, andy in the operation of which it is `trequently necessary to lly make or break the electrical cirinstam cuit actuating` the motor.

This operation may be accomplished tar more easilv and quickly with my straight pull-,andpush actuated switch than with `the twist-actmited type now commonly in use.

inother object of my invention is to' pr0- vide a simple andinespensive device, and vet one which will be extremely eiiicient tor the purpose Vfor which it is designed.

'cts aecomplishby means of 1 re and relative ai"angement of ll more fully appear 'from a .he tollowing specification and similar characters of circuit closed. Awith circuit ration ot my imigures of reference on the drawings, the numeral l denotes a metallic frame or backing, preferably having an oriticed ilange Q by means ofvwhich the switch may be atta'ched to any desired object.

Mounted on the frame l is a block or nonconducting' material, such as, red liber, hard rubber or the like. Mounted to the member 3 and suitably spaced apart are binding posts si and 5, the screws of which are preferably ot' copper, having heads 6 and 7 respectively projecting through the member 3.

'lurnably mounted on the screw head 6 adjacent the block 3- is a copper strip' 8 adapted to abut against the screw head or contact point 7, and provided with an openended slot 9 therein, extending centrally of the strip from the end'thereof opposite its mounting onthe head 6.

lilounted on the block 3 and substantially on a horizontal line with the head G and suitably spaced therefrom is a screw` l() which forms a bearing for tgl arm ll turnable thereon. This arm is also constructed of a non-conductinnmaterial, and overlaps the strip 8 'for al certain portion of its length. This arm has a. metallic pin l2 secured therein and projecting into the slot 9 in the strip S.

Positioned substantially at right angles to the arm il is a handle rod 13, also or" a non-conducting material throughout` which `is held in position relative to the screw l0 by means of an arm ist turnably mount-ed thereon adjacent the block 3, and to pin l5 on the handle 13.

rEhe rod 13 above such pivotal connection extends through a lguide member lS mounted to the frame l, and which aids in maintaining the vertical alinement of the handle rod. rl`his rod therefore has a certain range oi vertical movement about the screw i0 as a pivotal point, downward movementy thereof being limited by iange l? projecting' 'from the under'A edge of the block il, and on which the lower end of the rod 'i3 abu'ts. lilith the rod 13 in this po the pivotal poin l5 is below the rew lO, as shownl si 1 ino in a 0.

11 central thereof and a suitable distance from its pivot-al mounting.

rlhe framelange 17 may be bent upwardly as at'QO and extended over the block 3, serving as a protection therefor, or any suitable form of casing to surround the entire mechanism may be utilized if desired.`

In the operation of the switch, referring first to Fig. 2 of the drawings, it will be noted that besides the rod 13, the arm 11 also abuts against the flange 17 thus preventing further downward movementof the same. An' upward pull on the rod 13 will gradually place'the pins 15 and 19 in alinement with the screw 10, which position might be termed the dead-center, and until the pin 15 moves upwardly and beyond such position, no movement of 'the arm llwill take place.

lVhen the rod 13 however is further pulled to move the pinfl above such dead-center alinement, the spring 18 being in tension, pulls on the arm 11, and causes it to move n upwardly about its pivotal connection on the screw 10. The pin 12 therein, riding in the slot 9 in the strip 8, moves said strip up also, until it impinges against the screw head 7, which closes the circuit through the wires 21 connected to the binding posts 4 and 5, and of course forms a stop against any :turther upward movement of the rod 13.

Similarly, to break the circuit, no movement of the arm 11 will take place until the pin 1 5- has moved down beyond the point of dead center previously described, when the arm 11 will be thrown to abut against the iange 17, and the strip 8 likewise moved away from contact with the member 7.

Of course this spring action takes place almost instantaneously, irrespective of the speed of the handle rod 13, and contact is made or broken in a very rapid manner. j

It will be understood that the terms hori- ,'zontal and vertical as used lherein arev merely relative to the position of the switch as shown on the drawings. llt will be evident that a device of this character may be mounted in any desired position without impairing the eiiciency or working thereof.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that l have produced sucha device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred embodiment of my invention, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be made as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as d ened b the appended claims.

Having thus descri ed my invention, what :pasaste 1`claim as newand useful, and desire to secure by LettersPatent is 1. An electric snap-switch comprising a non-conducting base, a pair of spaced binding posts mounted thereon and connected to f pins projecting therethrough, a contact strip turnably mounted on one or' the pins, and adapted. to have one edge thereof abut against the other pin,l an arm turnably mounted on a bearing provided in the base and having a pin thereon adapted to constantly engage the sides of a longitudinal slot provided in the contact strip, the arm being adapted for limited movement on its bearing, a pull rod positioned substantially at right angles to the arm and the bea-ring thereof, and means whereby a sliding movement of the rod in either direction will cause a sudden movement of 'the arm'in the same direction about its pivotal point only after a predetermined travel of the arm, thereby causing the contact strip to make or break connection with the contact pin.

2. An electric snap-switch comprising a non-conducting base, a pair of spaced binding posts mounted thereon and connected to pins projecting therethrough, a contact strip turnably mounted on one of the pins and adapted to have one edge thereoitA abut against the other pin, an arm turnably mounted on a bearing provided in the base and having a pin thereon adapted to constantly engage the sides of a longitudinal slot provided in the contact strip, the arm bein adapted for limited movement on its bearlng, a pull rod positioned substantially at right angles to the arm and the bearing thereof beyond the same and in the same plane thereas, a pin on the rod, a bar between the arm and tlm-.rod with the bearing of the arm and the pin on the rod as pivotal points, a pin projecting from the arm on the longitudinal center line thereof, and a tension spring secured to the last named pin and to the pin on the rod, the rod being adapted for sliding movement to an extent to position the pin thereon an equal distance on either side of a line produced through the arm bearing and the last named pin thereon, whereby no movement of the arm in either direction will take place until the pin on the rod has passed by such dead centerline in the same direction.

In testimony whereof l aixmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK H. QUADE, JR.

Witnesses:

J. W: Lrvnniuonn, EMILY LoEwnNGU'rH. 

